Baseball season has arrived for county high school teams

Harford County high school baseball teams have been battling the weather, but soon it will be the opponents. See team information below.

Aberdeen

Head coach: Bob Arnold (second season)

2018 record: 6-13

Top returning players: Ryan Feathers, Senior (P/C/INF); Stephen Schultz, Junior (OF/P); Brandon Brown, Junior (OF/INF/P); Kevon Davis, Junior (INF); Matt Disney, Senior (OF); Adam Siedlecki, Junior (P/INF); Raillys Orengo, Junior (C/P/INF)

Key new players: Brian Langbein, Sophomore (SS); Austin Keen, Freshman (INF/OF)

Outlook: Siedlecki and Feathers are both back to anchor the pitching staff after leading the team in innings pitched last year. Each of them has shown huge gains over last season. The rest of the innings will likely come from a committee of pitchers, with five or more pitchers getting a chance to earn more time on the mound. The defense should be much more consistent this year, with Langbein solidifying the infield at shortstop and Feathers and Orengo anchoring behind the plate. Schultz will continue to lead the outfield defense. “Offensively, we will look a lot different this year, but these young men are up for the challenge. We look for Davis, Disney, Feathers, Brown and Orengo to lead and Keen shows a lot of potential. We expect him to have a big impact in the second half of the season,” Eagles coach Arnold said. “Overall, this is a deeper team than the last few years, and they are a tight-knit, extremely hard-working group of young men. The leadership of Feathers and Schultz are setting the tone for everyone else. If they keep up the intensity every day, this will be a productive and exciting season.”

Bel Air

Head coach: John Swanson (18th season)

2018 record: 15-3

Top returning players: Tyler Shimming, Senior (P); Austin Rohlfing, Senior (P/1B); Matt Fino, Junior (C); Josh Stocum, Senior (INF/OF/P)

Key new players: Caden Morris, Junior (INF); Sean Conway, Junior (INF)

Outlook: We have some holes to fill on the bump and in our line-up, especially from departing seniors Andrew Sunday, Liam Bowers, Drew Gagnon and Spencer Sanza, Cam Kalandros and a host of other Bobcats,’ Bobcats coach Swanson said. “Each year we get back onto the field it unfolds within a two week period who the dominant teams are in the county. Harford County baseball is strong and any year it could be any team. We will have to see how this year plays out and I am excited and looking forward to coaching this group and watching them compete.”

C. Milton Wright

Head coach: Mike Amaral (first season)

2018 record: 8-12

Top returning players: Jake Spurlock, Senior (CF); Hunter Wright, Junior (P/RF)

Key new players: Nick Kopczynski, Sophomore, (C)

Outlook: “Stay competitive and keep the strong baseball tradition at CMW alive,” Mustangs coach Amaral said.

Edgewood

Head coach: Greg Rodenbaugh (third season)

2018 record: 5-13

Top returning players: Jason Rodriguez, Senior (SS); Jouseph Rodriguez, Junior (2B); Will Hunter, Junior (UTIL); Antonio Geatreaux, Sophomore (P/C)

Key new players: Jonathan Levine, Senior (P); Teron Hinton, Junior (P/C); Andrew Saulsbury, Freshman (P); Matthew Oliver, Freshman (INF)

Outlook: “We are looking forward to continuing to grow the program and for a positive record in 2019. We would like to send our seniors off on a good note. We will be very young this year but despite the youth movement we are very talented and many key positions,” Rams coach Rodenbaugh said. “The players are eager to learn and the coaching staff is eager to teach our young men how to be successful on and off the diamond.

Fallston

Head coach: Grant Morlock (sixth season)

2018 record: 8-12

Top returning players: Alex Baily, Senior (C/OF); Josh Bogdan, Senior (RHP/INF); Ryan Pickle, Junior (LHP)

Key new players: Joe Gizinski, Sophomore (SS/2B); Collin Lipinski, Sophomore (UTIL); Jesse Schuster, Junior (RHP/OF)

Outlook: “We return six starters from last year and are excited to have Alex Baily and Josh Bogdan healthy after both missed most of 2018 with injuries. Also, Ryan Pickle, who will look to build on a strong sophomore campaign,” Cougars coach Morlock said. “I also expect seniors Drew Kalista, Phil Napoli, Kyle Moody and Chris Emm to compete for innings on the mound.” Juniors Connor Pickle and Jesse Schuster will be in the mix as well on the mound and in the lineup. “We have a nice mix of underclassman to go with 7 seniors and should come out with something to prove this year,” Morlock added.

Harford Christian

Head coach: Matthew Taylor (first season)

2018 record: 6-7

Top returning players: Bryce Schmidt, Junior (P/3B); Luke Taylor, Sophomore (Catcher); Than Thymes, Sophomore (CF)

Key new players: Timmy Williams, 8th grade (SS); Kyle Bonney, Freshman (2B); Owen Stevens, 8th grade (OF)

Outlook: Our hopes for this year’s team are to have a winning record, while glorifying God through our play,” Eagles coach Taylor said. “We are a very young team, but have a good young core group of players who we hope will lead us to success for years to come.”

Harford Tech

Head coach: Paul Daniele (

2018 record: 10-10

Top returning players: Jay Rose, Junior (OF/P); Nate Reed, Junior (P/OF); Brennen Schneider, Junior (SS/P); Parker Smith, Sophomore (C); Ryan Hunt, Junior (2B/P); Kyle Robey, Senior (C); John Riley, Senior (OF)

Key new players: Conor Henderson, Sophomore (UTIL); TJ Kobert, Junior (1B); Dominick Ward, Sophomore (OF); Parker McIlhenney, Sophomore (3B/P); Dominic Mavias, Junior (OF/P); Jac Carll, Junior (1B); Colin Childs, Junior (UTIL)

Outlook: “We have a good core of juniors returning with a year of Varsity experience which we hope to build on. We have outstanding senior leadership in Kyle Robey and John Riley to help guide this young group,” Tech coach Daniele said. “We know we are in one of the toughest regions in the state for baseball with the district composed of North Harford, North East, Fallston, Rising Sun, Elkton, and us. We just want to compete at our highest level which will give us a chance to win.”

Havre de Grace

Head coach: Chad Blevins (ninth season)

2018 record: 7-13

Top returning players: Alex Gresock, Senior; Jesse Fenner, Senior; Jeremy Smith, Senior; Nate McRoberts, Senior; Devin Johnson, Senior; Evan Barks, Junior; Connor Ignozzi, Sophomore

Key new players: N/A

Outlook: A large group of returning players with plenty of varsity experience has the Warriors looking to take a big step up the UCBAC standings this season. Gresock will lead the pitching staff and will also be a key contributor at the plate. Fellow seniors Fenner and Smith, along with Barks, Ignozzi and Chad Gamble figure to anchor the batting lineup. The Warriors will also get plenty of contributions from underclassmen on the mound from Frank Siano, Brayden Gruzs and Jackson Transparenti.

John Carroll

Head Coach: Darrion Siler (third Season)

2018 record: 21-6

Top returning players: Tyler Blittersdorf, Senior (C/OF); Brandon Crews, Senior (RHP/UTIL); John Galant, Senior (1B/UTIL); Chris Roberts, Senior (OF); Matthew Gonzalez Rodriguez, Senior (INF); Nico Santoro, Senior (INF); Stelio Stakias, Senior (C); Hunter Tipton, Senior (RHP/INF); Gavin Wingard, Junior (OF)

Key new players: Sean Fasano, Junior (INF); Charles Hafer, III, Junior (OF/RHP); Tyler Leach, Junior (C/UTIL); Aidan Ruiz, Junior (P)

Outlook: John Carroll enters the 2019 season still in search of the school's first ever MIAA Conference Championship. John Carroll returns 14 seniors from last year's squad; seven of which have already made commitments to play baseball at the next level. Seniors Tyler Blittersdorf, Matthew Gonzalez Rodriguez and Stelio Stakias will be looked upon as the catalysts on offense. On the mound, John Carroll looks deep with seniors Ben Pika, Hunter Tipton, Tyler Blittersdorf, Brandon Crews, Myles Janson, Ryan Ishak, and juniors Aidan Ruiz, Sam Hogue and Evan Exter.

Joppatowne

Head coach: Jason King (second season)

2018 record 1-19

Top returning players: Jamaal Chase, Senior; James Van Horn, Junior; Nick Callahan, Sophomore; Brad White, Sophomore

Key new players: Kyle Snead, Sophomore; Bailey Mc Carthy, Sophomore; Briant Rodriguez, Sophomore; Keshon Webb, Freshman; De Mauri Ponder, Freshman

Outlook: The Mariners look to improve on a 1-19 season which was highlighted by a 7-1 loss in the first round of the playoffs against Patterson Mill. The Mariners are young but expect to compete in the 2019 season.

North Harford

Head coach: Tim Larrimore (29th season)

2018 record: 8-13

Top returning players: Sam Macatee, Senior (OF); Paul Keeney, Senior (P/OF); Jackson Stockstill, Junior (P/1B); Mill Heinze, Junior (C); Bobby Duffy, Junior (SS/P)

Key new players: N/A

Outlook: “This is a young team with the possibility of a couple underclassmen starting,” Hawks coach Larrimore said.

Patterson Mill

Head coach: Matt Roseland (11th year)

2018 record: 16-6

Top returning players: Christian Shertzer, Sophomore (SS); Nick Santoro, Senior (OF); Nathan Vujanic, Junior (1B/P)

Key new players: Ethan Shultz, Junior (OF); Mason Smith, Junior (1B/P); Lucas Rivera, Junior (OF/P)’ Caleb Heymann, Sophomore (C); Michael Segreti, Sophomore (OF)

Outlook: The Huskies will continue to be competitive in the UCBAC’s Chesapeake Division as the smallest school in an a large group of great teams and coaches.